Getting Out There

Novelty in Christmas lights

It was a promising start.

There were lights in every tree, and the colors were changing as we drove – blue in one cluster, green in another.

For a while, I didn’t think it would happen. The day had been long at work, and I wasn’t sure I’d have the energy to get ready and drive all the way to town in time to get there. But when I asked my son if he still wanted to go see the Christmas lights display at the arboretum, he gave me an enthusiastic yes.

It’s amazing how much you can force yourself to do when it’s for someone else. So I kicked myself into gear, and we drove on down there. No surprise, lots of other people had the same plan, but I’m willing to deal with traffic and crowds when the payoff is worth it.

And I’m so glad I did!

Wandering around at night through the gardens was a great way to recharge and reset my outlook – and it was something that felt new and fresh. As many times as I’ve walked those same paths, it has usually been during the day. Switching it up and exploring them at night, especially with the added element of the lights, transported it to an entirely different experience.

Don’t you love it when you do something you didn’t want to only to find that doing it has transformed you to a better state of mind?

Here’s hoping the next holiday cocktail party lives up to that standard!

Nature through the senses

Scent:

There’s debate about why being in nature helps people. No one knows what the exact mechanism is. I’m not really sure I care what the mechanism is, to be honest, but that’s one reason why I think it’s good to engage with nature with all of our senses. Some scientists have a theory that plants (or mushrooms, etc.) release compounds into the air, and that’s what helps us. There’s some support for that in the research results, showing that just smelling an evergreen tree can have a positive impact on people. In that light, I hope everyone is able to include some real evergreen greenery in your decorations as we head into the holidays this year. If you can get out in the woods and cut your own – even better!

Sight:

Given how cold it has been this past week, I thought it would be fun to search out pretty places to see when they are frozen.

Sound:

How about going out for an old fashioned carolling adventure? Seems like a legit way to enjoy some outdoor nature in December. In that spirit, here’s a carol my son had never heard of and didn’t believe was real when I told him about it.

Taste:

It’s a good time of year to enjoy vegetables that store well. Winter squash is one I rarely make until this time of year, and it’s great for warming you up on a cold day.

Touch:

Let’s be real – touching things outside this time of year can get way too cold fast. So to keep up the ability to get out there and explore, we can spend a little of our down time inside crocheting a set of mittens. Have fun!

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